The Other Side of Him
by LadyMidnight81
Summary: a Shunsui/Nanao onshot that takes place after they all get back from the final battle with Aizen; SPOILER if you haven't read or seen to or beyond that point...also Jushiro/Retsu and Rangiku/Gin mentioned as well...lemon


**AN:****It's not like I needed another fandom to write for, lol, but I couldn't help myselg after seeing the amazing fanart listed in my profile, and my overall obsession with the Bleach mange and anime. Anyway, this is what came out, so thanks for reading it :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters therein, they belong to Mr. Tite Kubo**

**The Other Side of Him****: A Bleach Shunsui/Nanao Fanfic**** – August 9, 2010 –**

It was a week after the final battle with Aizen had started and they had all finally received word that the traitor was even now being held by Central 46 after being amazingly defeated by Ichigo Kurosaki and allies. All of the Gotei 13 was still dealing with the aftereffects of the whole long process of keeping Aizen and all of his allies from completely destroying both the world of the living and the Soul Society itself. Even now they were still getting reports of injured shinigami and the members of the 4th Squad were swamped with those reports as well as being flooded with the injured that were still being brought to their barracks in need of more intensive care. But finally as the word spread about the traitor's defeat there was a sense of relief that spread throughout the Seireitei and eventually all of the Soul Society that seemed to gather most in the patients and healers at the 4th Squad Barracks.

But as Shunsui Kyoraku sat at the beside the bed of his oldest and dearest friend, he realized that that relief was very short-lived for those like him; waiting for injured friends and family members to wake up and assure them that the fight really was worth it. Especially as he sat here next to the very worried and emotional 4th Squad captain, Retsu Unohana, as she looked down at their healing and bandaged friend, more brother to him, and to her something that he would never be able to name. It was unique and all their own. Jushiro would live through these injuries, yes, but it always reminded all of them that however healthy her he may act at times, he was still a very sick man. Battles like the one that had injured them both, they had gotten careless and then surprised by that Arrancar that had seemed to come out of nowhere, even to them and Yama-Jii, his blade slicing through Jushiro, felling one of the most powerful captain of the Gotei 13 in mere seconds.

"He's dying, Shunsui," Retsu said suddenly and he realized that her usual calm and peaceful self had let some of the sorrowful tears she never showed to anyone but the other two in the room, roll down her cheeks, the pain clear in her voice. He squeezed her hand to let her know that he had heard her quiet tearful words.

"It's not like we didn't know that," she continued and he could tell that she was halfway talking to herself as well, "But he's usually so happy and full of life he has a way of making you forget the serious truth even as he's coughing up blood."

"Yes," Shunsui murmured then, "But that indomitable spirit is one of the things that make him who he is, why we love him the way we do." She nodded at this, but then they both froze as the patient in question suddenly stirred after days of unconsciousness, relieving both of them who had been watching over him the whole time.

Retsu, her hair in complete disarray, in long waves long past her shoulders after taking care of so many patients continuously and not having time to redo her usual braid, slid her hand out from under his to take Jushiro's in both of hers. Just then Jushiro's eyes began to flutter as he finally began to awake in earnest. He smiled a familiar smile when he realized that he was not alone, and who exactly was with him.

"Well, if it isn't my two favorite people," he whispered, his voice hoarse from disuse after being unconscious while healing for so long.

"You gave us quite a scare there, my friend, Shunsui murmured, his easygoing manner put on this time as he forced himself to do it for both of the others present. "It's a good thing you're close with the 4th Squad captain, or you might not have healed so quickly." Or at all, he added silently. Both the doctor and the patient smiled at his forced attempt at humor and he knew that it was time for him to let them have some time alone now that Jushiro was finally in stable condition. As if to echo his thoughts, Retsu helped the patient sit up so he could drink a sip of water, knowing he must be parched, and he grabbed Retsu instead of the glass.

"And that's my cue to leave you two alone for a bit, I think," he said into the room where no one was really listening to him anymore. Both of them made halfhearted protests to the contrary, but he knew they appreciated the sentiment. "I'll be back to check on you later, Ukitake." he waved blithely, ignoring the look they were giving each other as he rose to leave the room.

"Oh, Jushiro," Retsu exclaimed almost silently as she put the glass of water down before she dropped it. He was almost to the door when the silence of his two oldest friends kissing filled the room, making him feel lonely in a way best ignored at the moment. He shook off the sudden reverie and head toward his own squads barracks, his own room, and the solace of, if not another person, then several bottles of his private stock of the best Sake the world of the living had to offer.

He never noticed his lieutenant, Nanao Ise, quickly running the opposite direction, not wanting him to know that she had witnessed something so private between the three captains. But luckily, he was too distracted by his thoughts he didn't even sense her presence at all. That in itself though, made her realize how distraught he really was, and how much she was worried about him tripled accordingly. Even so, she decided to triple back the opposite way to their squad barracks so there was no way he would know she had been following him before. But by the time she made it back there, she knew that something was still really bothering him. It was almost like you could sense heaviness in the direction of his room, sadness, and it broke her heart.

Shrugging, she tiptoed closer to his room and realized that he hadn't even bothered to close his doors all the way, allowing her to see into his private sanctuary, and this time without hindrance. Not that she'd ever spied on him before, of course. Part of her snorted at that before her eyes adjusted to the dim lamp light within his chamber and her eyes widened at the amount of empty sake bottles already beside him. All upside down as if he was building a little pyramid with them all, and it hadn't even been an hour since he had left the 4th squad barracks. She realized that he must have broken into his private stash long ago, and even found the bottle that she had hid from him early this month. Unless he had another cache that she didn't know about, this is entirely possible. It wasn't like she was able to search his private chambers by herself; she wasn't that brave, especially when he was present in them.

She can't help but blush as her eyes finally find him on the opposite side of the room, as he was stripped down to his hakama, leaning against the wall. His usual state while drinking and making his way toward drunk, as he must be with that many empty bottles around, was a cheerful and even more flirtatious state. True, though it seems impossible given his usual mood toward her. That usual cheerfulness now was nowhere to be found, it seemed, replaced by a silent contemplation and the occasional silent tears that caused the fissure in her heart to grow wider. His hair was loose as well and she could see the rest of his garments and hair tie flung all around the room as if discarded in frustration as soon as he had gotten within his chamber. His curls fell just beyond his waist, making her feel things that she usually denies exist. He moved then, almost startling her after being still for so long and she moved to watch from a different angle, feeling embarrassed even though she could tell he hadn't noticed her. He all but collapsed then, falling back first onto his bed, and probably passed out drunk. That fall was not a short one, and knowing that he had just healed from his own wounds not too long ago, the scars she could see in his state of undress, made her feel the need to go and make sure he really is alright.

Blushing again at being this close to him, able to admit her attraction and other un-namable feelings she had for him when he was unconscious. She reaches out to touch his cheek, like a doctor checking for a fever, but really she just wanted to caress his cheek. She gasps suddenly when he reaches up to take her hand at his cheek within his.

"Yare, yare, my little Nanao-chan," he murmurs in a whispering voice. "Though perhaps you aren't so little anymore," he continues, "Nor truly mine," he adds the last part almost as an afterthought it seems, but there is pain clear in his light gray eyes.

"Captain Kyoraku..." she begins, but is quickly silenced by her pleasured surprise when he suddenly places a kiss on the palm of the hand he still holds.

"He's dying and there's nothing I can do about it," he says as an echo of Captain Unohana's words that she should not have heard earlier. She shouldn't be hearing his either. They showed her a side of him, the human side as he grieved for his oldest friend's incurable illness. The flirty, joking side of him she could handle. She could stonewall him and give him her usual whack with a fan or whatever she happened to be carrying at the time. But this part of him; the serious, burning with the intensity of his sadness and grief was a completely different story. She had no defenses whatsoever for the scared, vulnerable man in front of her. And that scared her more than anything else ever had.

"I don't understand it even now," he continued through the momentary pause for breath, completely oblivious to her inner struggle to stay immune to her gorgeous captain's vulnerable side. "That as a shinigami we can die again as well. And when we do where do we go, I wonder? Since the Soul Society was where we first came to as human souls. Is there a shinigami heaven, I wonder? And will we see each other again someday?" he sighed then, as he paused to take another deep, emotion-filled breath. "Century after century we've always been together. How could there come a time when he would suddenly not be sitting across the table from me as we eat or drink tea and sake, play mah jong , or any of the numerous activities we always do as we take for granted that the other is always going to be there to do them with? Retsu is right," he murmured and she knew he was mostly talking to himself this whole time and hadn't noticed that she had started crying at his uncharacteristically emotional narrative. "She's right that he seems so full of life, that he fools us into forgetting the inevitable, even at times when he's coughing up blood," he sighed again then, a weightier sound she had never heard from him before. It was a world-weary sound and for once in all the years of his combination of immature antics and snatches of wisdom she could believe and see in this moment how long he had lived. How old he really was and she suddenly felt miles away, so naïve and she wondered how in the world she had never noticed it before. Her tears started afresh then, but for a completely different reason.

"Tch," he murmured when he noticed her tears, "Don't cry, my Nanao-chan," he whispered in a way that made her cheeks pinked even as her tears continued to fall. "Please forgive me, forgive this old man his ramblings," he quirked an eyebrow when she seemed to cry harder at this for a moment. He reached up with his hand that didn't still hold hers against his cheek and softly wiped her tears away, caressing her cheeks in turn afterward. Gasping at the feel of his rough and calloused, but still somehow soft and gentle, fingertips against her cheeks shocked her out of her tears. She glanced down then and her watery blue eyes met his somber gray ones. Meaning only a moment's glance, she got caught in his overwhelming gaze instead. Her cheeks becoming more than pink as she fully realized the situation. She was sitting next to her half-naked captain as he lay in bed with her hand holding her to his cheek. Where she had let him capture it without comment. All of this uncharacteristic behavior on both their parts was all too overwhelming for Nanao, and she really had no clue how to proceed in such an awkward situation.

"Forgive your captain's impertinence, Nanao-chan, but for once he would like you to just see him as a man, he continued on a strained voice before causing her to gasp once more as he kissed the palm of the hand he held again. "A man that cares a great deal for you." She held back either another gasp, moan, or combination of the two at both his words and the fact that when he moved to kiss her palm again his tongue had snaked out to caress the sensitive flesh there in a way that she had never experienced before.

"Could you just pretend to see me like that; just for now, and be truly mine, Nanao?" His words made her flush in several places, but in her innocence and denial she wasn't entirely sure what he was asking her. But in this state she had no current defense for this other side of him. This blaring honesty made her feel the need to spout the truth as well even though she hadn't consumed any inhibition-lowering sake like he had. At least is this instance, she couldn't seem to care to maintain the lie, and decided to actually be honest with him and herself.

"I don't have to pretend," she whispered almost too quiet for her to hear her own voice and hoped that he had actually heard her for she wasn't entirely sure she could repeat herself. This one aloud confession was bad enough. "I already see you like that, Shunsui."

At the sound of his name from her lip she used his free hand to slowly remove her glasses and then he used the hand he held to pull her down to his level until he could capture her lips with his own; his facial hair tickling her skin in interesting ways. He loved the way she gasped at this and the low sounds of pleasure she made when he took advantage of that and used his tongue to taste every inch of her mouth. Trilled to finally be kissing His Nanao, and feeling even more ecstatic when she didn't push him away, but started to tentatively try to kiss him back. Reminding him of her inexperience, he gentles his kiss and touch, wrapping his arms around he waist to bring her down closer to him.

She lost her fingers is he curls, her arms around his neck, as she finally allowed herself to give into the feelings she's tried to deny for so very long. He halfway rolled over, bringing her with him until she was half on his stomach, half on his side and she was under him. And she was suddenly aware of how little he actually had on at the moment. His arousal suddenly pressed against her thigh, causing her to moan at the heated awareness of bring about such a reaction is such a powerful man such as him. It also made her feel amazed and also aroused in ways she had never felt before.

She tightened her grip in his hair, pressing herself closer against him. Her breasts pressing against his bare chest through the thin layers of her bra and haori, tightening their tips in response as they rubbed against the hard planes of the ridges of muscle beneath his smooth tan skin. She could feel his luscious skin as she moved one hand down to caress the well-defined muscles and the dusting of hair that covered them under her fingertips. This caused the man they belonged to groan low in his throat when her nails skimmed over his flat nipples. He moaned out her name when she did it again as they came up for air. It made her feel powerful until his mouth against her throat made her feel weak with pleasure.

He smiled against her skin when she moaned his name as he scraped his teeth against the sensitive skin below her ear before sucking and nibbling there, determined to leave his mark there. His skilled tongue soothing away the pleasure/pain mix of the rest of hi mouth's antics. His hands began to move then as well, moving up to loosen her obi so he could move her haori aside as his mouth moved up to her ear.

"So beautiful," he whispered hotly in her ear as he parted her haori to reveal her bra of almost transparent skin-colored lace. "I want you very badly, my Nanao, he continued in the same erotic tone, "But, can I have you?" he asked at last, his breath and words sending tingles up and down her spine, they grew as he moved his hands up to caress her breasts almost lovingly.

She moaned at the new and overwhelming sensations he was bringing about so effortlessly from her body. She was realizing that he was completely unabashed in this area as well before he leaned down to capture one of her breasts in his mouth through her bra. She moaned loudly then, surprised at her own actions and the feelings she was experiencing. She grabbed fistfuls of his hair once more, unprepared for the intensity of the sudden pleasure of his actions.

"You taste as good as you look," he told her, shocking her before he proceeded to pull her bra down so her breasts sprung free from their cups while she was still wearing it. He traded breasts then, sucking it's tip slowly into his mouth, wringing every ounce of pleasure from her body he could. She tightened her grip in his hair, holding on for the rise, not knowing what else to do at the point. His hand caressed the breast his mouth didn't, both bringing such pleasure she was writhing under his ministrations. He switched breasts several times until they were both well-loved and she was shaking with the force of the sensations she was feeling. Finally taking her bra and haori completely off, he just stared at her body for several moments, causing her face and body to flush with embarrassment. She made a move to cover herself before he stopped her gently.

"Don't cover yourself, my Nanao; you have a gorgeous body, and nothing to be ashamed about." She was about to make a comment when he took her mouth with his once more in a kiss so deep and passionate that it literally took her breath away. His hands moved down to her behind, pressing her closer to him until they were so close such a way it caused them both to gasp against each other's lips.

"My beautiful Nanao," he murmured against her lips before trailing kisses down to her neck again, nibbling on her ear just enough to cause a whimper of response from her before moving on. He continue downward, licking and nipping a trail around each of her breasts before nipping both of her nipples playfully in turn, making her feel something strange build-up in the pit of her stomach as every tug of his teeth seemed to be connected to a growing ache that pulsed between her thighs.

He moved down again, surprising her as his tongue traced over every rib before going lower to circle her navel, then dipping inside briefly, causing her a surprised moan as he continued to the band of her hakama. He pulled them down and completely off of her with a simple tug of his wrist. He realized she was barefoot as well before he caressed his way up from her instep to her inner thighs until he was met with the almost non-existent barrier of off-white cotton panties that matched her practical and comfortable bra. She gasped out his name in surprise when she felt more than saw his breath against her barely covered core. He blew lightly on the area below his lips; the contrast in temperature caused her to cry out his name in shocked pleasure.

But all thought soon left her as his characteristic shamelessness continued and he kissed her womanhood though her panties and she whimpered at the feel of his tongue there, through the damp cotton barrier. Pulling her panties down and off then, with deftness she should have expected from him. He repeated his actions, this time his tongue kissing her deeply before finding the little bundle of her nerve endings hiding beneath her outer lips. That was all it took before she shattered, the unfamiliar sensations bombarding her body with a pleasure so great it bordered on pain. Shunsui's name on her lips as she cried out her fulfillment. Not knowing that was what had happened to her until her muscles suddenly relaxed and she felt boneless, only then did she realize what had just happened to her.

"My Nanao is so responsive," he whispered before giving her another deep, intimate kiss that made her cry out his name then a bit quieter than before as the aftershocks of pleasure wracked her body. "So wet for me," he continued before his tongue sank into her still quivering virginal passage. Spreading her legs even more, as he continued to make love to her with his mouth, leaving her speechless at the pleasure and intimacy of such an act and the strange feeling low in her stomach began to build up again. Especially when his nose brushed against the little bundle of nerves, the feeling of his stubble against her most intimate flesh adding to the sensations as well. One hand went up to caress on of her breasts then as he slipped a finger of his other hand inside her tight passage, his mouth moving up to the little nub of flesh above.

"You're so tight," he murmured without realizing the words escaped, "And you taste even better down her as well." His words and their vibration, along with his movements, combined so that her second orgasm tore through her before either of them expected it. Alost screaming his name as she came, and hearing this made him even more desperate for her. He moved up the, feeling she was relaxed enough to move slowly on.

He moved up to capture her mouth again, she clung to him fiercely, pulling him closer, all inhibitions long gone at this point, she wrapped her legs around his waist, loving the feel of his chest hair against her over-sensitized nipples. They rubbed against each other, him loving the feeling as well. Trying to get closer to each other, he deepened their kiss, kissing the hell out of her until they had to come up gasping for air.

"Nanao," he gasped her name then, in a slightly different tone, "You must be absolutely sure about this, " he continued as he had moved to her ear to make sure she could hear his words over the sound of their pounding hearts and labored breathing. Though he couldn't help but punctuate his words with more kisses along her neck just below her ear. "There must be no regrets tomorrow, my Nanao," he declared with his usual aplomb, "And you must understand that this cannot be written off as a drunken mistake on my part. I do not do this out of drunken loneliness Nanao." He said now looking deep into her blue eyes so she could see how serious he was being in this moment. "This is just a culmination of trying for years to get the woman I love to understand how I feel about her."

She gasped in completely shock and awe at his words. She was not expecting a declaration of any kind from him as he was usually so ambiguous about everything; let alone a declaration of love. She wasn't sure she could say anything right now, so any answer was momentarily out of the question, so she decided to sow him how she felt until the words returned to her. She used her hands in his hair to pull him back down so she could pour her feelings into their kiss.

"I love you too, Shunsui," she gasped out, needing to say it as they came up for air. He didn't say anything at first, but his eyes darkened with intensity she had never seen before. They practically smoldered as he stared back into her eyes. Before he captured her lips and continued to kiss her in a way that almost made her forget her own name. Except for the fact that he was whispering it between each kiss. They continued to spread pleasure through both of them like a drug.

Her newfound knowledge of he true feelings for her making her brave, she reached down for the tie to his hakama, but didn't have much success given her clouded mind. But she did end up finding something else as her hands innocently searched they way around down there. Only realizing what she had done as Shunsui gasped before groaning out her name suddenly. She gasped then as well, momentarily embarrassed by her inexperience, her face turning bright red instantly. She really get much time to feel that way though as Shunsui suddenly flipped all the over so her back was flat on the palette beneath with every inch of his hard and muscled body was now pressing intimately into all the right places against her softer curves. She cried out then as he ground his hips against hers before kissing her desperately as if he couldn't stop himself from doing either. She felt suddenly deprived as his hands were missing from her body and he turned slightly away form her. She didn't have to wonder what he was doing for long as she realized she realized that there was now a completely nude Shunsui pressed against her; their sweat-slickened bodies moving against each other automatically.

She gaped once more as she felt the impressive length of his arousal against her belly and some of that virginal fear finally crept into her mind. At the same time she realized her naughty captain hadn't been wearing anything under his hakama. Not that is was surprising, but her face flushed even more then as she couldn't help but wonder if this was a standard practice for him of if he had stripped and put his hakama back on before he started depression-filled sake binge. Those thoughts and all others were wiped from her mind however when she felt him slide his manhood against her entrance. He repeated that action a few times to lubricate himself, causing them both to make noises of pleasure into their kiss.

He asked her once more if she was ready to which she just brought his head down for a sloppy kiss, bravely moving her hips against his in answer. He whispered that he was sorry for the pain between kisses and held her hips captive with his and his hands as he plunged deep into her with one slick stroke powerful enough to break the barrier of her virginity. He stilled then at her cry of pain. He kissed the tears that leaked out of the corner of her eyes at the impact and whispered that he was sorry and that he loved her. And with his soothing words her pain also seemed to slowly get better. He told her it would get even better as they went as he continued his soothing murmurs against her lips.

Moving slowly when she said she was ready, he slowly slid out of her before making his way back until he was buried to the hilt once more. Both movements causing such sounds from them that she had never heard herself make before , but she had never felt such tremendous pleasure as she was as he continued to ride as they both held on for the rest of the ride. It didn't take long for him to find that spot deep inside that held the key to her ultimate satisfaction. She screamed his name unabashedly as she experienced the most powerful release of her life as yet. Feeling, hearing, and seeing her release was too much for him and he broke soon after as her inner muscles continued to squeeze him as pleasure aftershocks continued to wrack her body.

It took a long time for them to catch their breaths after he pulled out of her slowly, causing a final moan from both before he turned them on their sides so he could pull he close to him, his arms wrapped around her waist as he snuggled her close to him, her back to his front. They were both soon drifting into peaceful sleep; soft smiles on both of their faces. The future was unclear for both of them, but in this one perfect moment neither cared about anything but holding each other close and dreaming of being together with their newfound loves.

Nanao was dreaming a quite enjoyable dream about her and Kyoraku-taichou, err, Shunsui, when the worst sound in the world sounded outside his rooms in the hall.

"Nanao-chan!" Rangiku Matsumoto yelled down the hall between the captain and lieutenant barracks of the 8th Squad. She was completely unaware of the naked scrambling of the captain and lieutenant of said squad behind one of the doors she was very close to just opening to find out where everyone was. "Nanao-chan!" she yelled even louder, her high voice getting that edge it open adopts whenever she's annoyed. "How am I supposed to tell you about Gin's recovery if you're not here dammit!" she continued, thinking she was yelling at no one. Nanao had to suddenly tackle Shunsui to the pallet behind him her hand over his mouth so that she could stop him from laughing at Matsumoto-san's antics. But the fact that thy were still so scantily clad led to more adult-type touching, completely forgetting about her out in the hall, or perhaps just not caring waiting for her to go away.

Thinking she had gone away when there was suddenly silence, they continued their make-out session. When the door to the rooms suddenly was wrenched open, leaving them visible from the side of the doorway. Unfortunately they were so wrapped up in each other they hadn't even noticed Rangiku open the door. Upon seeing something that she had been hoping would happen for her friend, contrary to her personality she just smiled in happiness and embarrassment and silently made her way out of the room and the barracks, leaving them to their own devices. It was only when she reached the roof of the next building that she allowed herself a little laugh with Haineko at Nanao's expense then went back to the 4th squad barracks to check on Gin since she had been away for a little while telling people that he was finally out of the woods. She smiled broadly as she stepped from roof to roof until she reached his side, he was still sleeping so she sat at his side and just waited until he woke up. It was nice to see this other side of him, him being the one that she had to take care of now. And she was very glad about that.

The End

**AN2**:** Yes, I left Gin alive because I refuse to believe he's dead, even if it's true so :P lol Thanks for reading my story, you guys are awesome as usual :D**


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